I do not own Merlin. Obviously.

This is not a slash. I can't write slash. This is as close to slash as I get. It's just like slash, except not. THis is most likely going to be extremely fluffy. I apologize in advance. It's also going to be fun. I do not aplogize for that.

Anyway, Merlin is a girl. Arthur is King. Gwen and Arthur have never had a relationship. Gwaine is a badass. 'nough said.

In land of myths and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young woman, her name: Merlin.

Merlin was busy scrubbing, her bones aching from the hours put into the cleaning of the entire room by hand. Before the scrubbing, she had spent the morning towing water for Arthur's bath, cleaning the stable, and carrying the heavy targets back to the armory. To say she had worked her muscles today would be an understatement. She would have used a little magic to speed up the process and take away the pain that would sit with her for days, had Arthur not been in the room the entire day. He was busy trying to write a speech and was doing horribly at it.

Arthur was a very spontaneous speaking type. He was full of passion and honesty and pride. But sitting there, his mind was unable to complete the speech.

The speech only needed to be twenty to thirty minutes long, right after the knighting of two men. Arthur was, however, not able to do such. He looked up every few minutes or so to look pointedly at Merlin and say something along the lines of, "what shall I put after…the bravery that each knight of Camelot …"

Merlin, of course, would quickly reply with something like, "demonstrate, provides the faith and strength that Camelot needs to exist." She'd pause in her work only for a moment and meet his eyes for half a heartbeat of a second.

The sides of his lips would twitch upward like he was going to smile but then he'd scowl and snap. "I was talking to myself Merlin. I do not need your advice on speeches!" Yet, as he looked back down to his paper, she could see him mouth the words as he wrote them down upon the paper. Her words.

And so there they stayed, both busily at work.

When Arthur was finally done, Merlin also only had a small ways to go. She watched him pack up his things and yawn, stretching his hands over his head. He looked over at her lazily and then something seemed to spark in his eyes. "You've been at that for hours, haven't you?"

She glared at him heavily and sighed, "Yeah, you have a big room if you haven't noticed."

Arthur glanced around the room, as if he'd never seen it before, taking in the size. "It is rather, isn't it?" He grinned and looked at her, who couldn't help but roll her eyes and smile. "Well you can finish up tomorrow. You look tired and I won't have you useless tomorrow….Well more useless than usual."

Relieved, Merlin stood up, yet just a little too fast. She let out a shaky hiss of pain as she stood, one had clutching her sore back. She quickly cleared her throat as if it had never happened but Arthur had seen. He was at her side in a second, grabbing her arm to steady her. "Are you okay?"

Merlin flicker his arm off of her and stood straight. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said with a half grin. "Just a bit sore. "

Arthur's eyes flashed with concern which he quickly tried to erase. "You shouldn't have done that then. You should have said if it was too much. You're such a weakling." He let out an exasperated snort.

Merlin pinched her lips together and nodded. "You said to have it all cleaned today. You were very insistent."

Arthur seemed to have recalled the conversation and looked rather apologetic. "Oh, yeah."

"Well, if that will be all," she nodded and took a step toward the door. Her leg let out a cry of agony and she stumbled, having to reach for the wall as to not fall over. She hadn't even realized she'd been working so hard. She'd been stupid to push herself so much. Arthur was right.

Arthur walked up behind her and let out a laugh. "You're right, you're just fine. Anyone can see you're not." But as she turned she could see the worry in his eyes.

"I don't suppose you could give me a hand down to Giaus's could you?" She asked looking very guilty. "Or at least down the stairs. I don't know if I could make it."

Not a single servant would have asked that of the King. No matter how hard he'd worked them. Or how sore they were. No one would ask Arthur to help them down the stairs. But Merlin was not just any servant, and Arthur was not just any King. They had a kind of friendship that was a read between the lines type. The hints of real caring for each other were subtle, but you had to be blind not to notice after awhile.

Arthur look amused, Merlin asking for help in all. He pretended to think it over for a moment before picking her up bridal style. He was gentle with her and quickly had her down the steps. Luckily no guards were around so there was no need to explain anything to anyone.

Not that there was something going on between Arthur and Merlin. Arthur was the King, and Merlin was the maid. No one suspected anything because there was nothing. Not that Merlin wasn't attracted to him. Far from it. But she was a maid and he was a King. Not to mention that she was a secret sorceress and he was a Pendragon. And even if none of that mattered, Arthur was Arthur. He was a friend. That was all there was. All there ever was going to be. And frankly, she was okay with that. Content with that.

Arthur stopped outside Gaius's room and just stood there for a moment. She was so light, so fragile, so tiny. He looked at her whose eyes were half closed like she might fall asleep any moment. She looked so tired, so weak, so small. As usual, her hair was tied up and pulled back with a big scarf covering it. Her figure was hidden beneath the boy like clothing. And yet, in her eyes, there was something very girly and very attractive there.

Arthur was only slightly infatuated with his maid. Maybe if he wasn't King he'd have gone to the ends of the earth for her. But as King, he couldn't think of himself. His Kingdom could not afford him to be selfish. He had to think of Camelot. And honestly, with the way things were, he had to be smart. To save Camelot from Morgana he would have to make a smart choice. Marry someone with power and money, influence and military.

Not to mention Merlin could never love him. He was Arthur and she was Merlin. Two very opposite people, from two opposite worlds, with two opposite destinies.

If only he knew how wrong he was.

Arthur slowly set her down and opened the door. He tried to be gentle, tried not to worry or care too much about the way she flinched as she took a step inside the room.

"I've got it from here," she said with a small smile.

"Take tomorrow off, won't you Merlin? You won't be much use to me. Not that you usually are," he joked with a smile

"Thank you Arthur." Her reply was serious.

But Arthur didn't feel like he'd done much. Wasn't it his fault she was in the pain to begin with? So he just nodded and turned to go. "Good night," he heard her say softly behind him and the door shut.

The King stood outside that door for a good while, thinking a few things over. He had to remember that Merlin had limits. He couldn't just expect her to do the impossible. He sighed and turned to go up the steps. He had only rounded the corner when the light on the wall went out. He was suddenly in darkness. A hand grabbed from behind him and a knife was held up just beneath his chin. "Let out a shout and I'll cut your throat," said a scratchy voice.

Arthur was frozen; he didn't move a muscle as he felt the cold metal against his neck. He felt like he couldn't breathe. An assassin was holding the blade to him, he surmised. He hadn't even heard the footsteps, hadn't caught any sign he was being followed.

"Actually," the voice laughed. "I'm going to cut it anyway." And the blade began to slice into skin swiftly. Blood leaked out and then suddenly, there was no more pain and the hand stopped.

The man let out a mighty shout, collapsing to his knees. His hand with the knife was burning, a fire swallowing it up. He was madly trying to put out the fire. He was letting out cries of pain, and then he was silent. Something, or rather someone, the same someone who had burnt his hand, had put him asleep. Arthur looked around in alarm for the source of the sudden magic. His eyes found it.

Through the dark, a set of glowing gold eyes peered back at him, and then the gold went out. All he could see was the faint outline of a girl. She had long, dark hair that was straight and fell down to her waist. She was curvy but slim. And her breathing was heavy and she stared back at him. And suddenly she seemed to have stopped breathing all together.

"Who are you?" Arthur found himself asking in a demanding voice. "Show yourself witch!"

But an idea occurred to him. She had just saved his life. His eyes darted down to the assassin who was now unconscious on the floor. But when he looked up again, the strange girl was gone. He whirled around to see her but she had disappeared.

Merlin shut her bedroom door behind her and slid down to the floor. That had been too close. Both times.

Almost too late to save Arthur.

And so close to him but being unrecognized. He sure could be thick.

When Arthur had dropped her off she had gone to her room. She pulled out her hair and changed into her nightgown. And then she went to get a potion to help ease the pain. That's when she saw a shadow pass the door. She'd only been curious when she opened the door to find a dark figure quietly walking up the steps. She followed after him quickly when he attacked Arthur.

She only had a moment to act. She had to save Arthur but had nearly blown her identity in the process.

And her whole body was now screaming in defiance to her movements. She crawled to her cut in the floor where her spell book was hidden and fished inside for her book. She pulled it out and flipped through it. When she found the spell she wanted she quickly muttered it and sighed in relief. She pulled herself into her bed and laid there wide awake.

She was filled with fear. Arthur had gotten a pretty good look at her, even if it was in the dark. What if he put two and two together? What if he had her killed?

But she was already asleep before she had time to really worry. Arthur was a good man. If something happened, everything would work out for the best.

"Merlin!" came the urgent sound of Arthur as he pulled her door open in alarm and peered inside. The sight of her, sitting on her bed, quickly shoving a book under her pillow, was calming. He sighed in relief and then swallowed. "Where have you been? When you didn't come this morning I thought that maybe—"

"You gave me the day off," she reminded him coldly.

Realization hit him and he shut his eyes. "Oh."

"Now why were you so worried?"

Arthur frowned. "I wasn't worried. Last night there was an assassination attempt. When you didn't show up for work I guess I just figured something might have happened to you."

"You were worried," she smiled softly.

Arthur swallowed and set his jaw. "No, I was just…curious. If you were dead I'd need a new servant."

She rolled her eyes and smiled at him. "Well I'm fine. Wait. Assassination attempt?"

And then the night seemed to come back to her. She'd remembered in the morning, but it wasn't until now that it all seemed to hit her again. Arthur had seen her. He had seen her do magic. He just hadn't known it was her.

Arthur dove into the story, but somehow the sorceress ended up sounding like a suspicious villain instead of a mysterious hero. Arthur had the assassin locked up in the dungeon already but there was no sign of the sorceress. They had questioned the assassin but the man wouldn't utter a word no matter what they did.

A perplexed Merlin sat and listened to the whole story. "So the sorceress saved your life?"

"It sure looked that way," Arthur said skeptically. "But we can't trust that kind."

"So if you found her, you'd kill her?" Merlin asked slowly, her heart dropping. Just like that? Death with no chance?"

Arthur didn't answer but his verdict was evident on his face and the question just hung in the air.

"Well I think you ought to give her a chance to explain," Merlin said with a huff, trying not so sound too defensive.

"Magic is illegal Merlin! And for good reason too," he said through gritted teeth. "And even if you put that aside, assuming that she had the possibility of being good…She ran away," Arthur growled. "Innocent people don't run away."

"You're right. Her kind has only ever been executed under Pendragon's in Camelot but she should have at least stuck around to get arrested and executed for saving your life," Merlin said sarcastically but immediately regretted speaking at all.

"You think I should trust her kind?" Arthur barked with anger. "You're naïve Merlin. Haven't you seen the destruction and evil works her kind has brought?"

"Yes," Merlin nodded with admittance. "And here before me I see the result of the good and saving power she has brought."

Arthur opened his mouth to reply but shut it just as quickly when he had no reply to give.

"Arthur, I'm not saying you have to trust her, but can't you at least accept the possibility of a good sorceress who saved your life?"

Arthur grimaced and turned away. "No. Magic is corruption, a good sorceress isn't possible. Magic brings only evil."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do!" Arthur threw his hands up in anger. "Magic killed my father, magic has tormented my Kingdom, magic has corrupted my sister."

And it has saved your life more times than you will ever know.

"So a magic user, even if they gave up their lives to save you, could never be in your eyes innocent or good?" Merlin finally asked with a sinking heart. There was nothing she could do, if he were to find the truth, to prove she was good. There was nothing she could say to make him see. In his eyes, what she really was, who she really was, was evil. There was nothing.

But Arthur turned and faced her; slow and sad as if he understood why she was asking this. And for a moment she feared he did. "You're talking about Will aren't you?"

Merlin didn't answer but she turned away.

This was like confirmation to Arthur. He bowed his head sadly and ran the day back through his head. The boy had saved his life. Twice. Once with magic, once with his own life.

"I don't know about Will," Arthur finally said in a low voice. "I'll never know."

"He died for you," Merlin said, thinking about how he had taken the blame with his last breaths so he could save her. He had loved her. And if she was being honest, she had loved him. "He died for you and left me." Like I had left him. He'd asked for her hand, promised her love and happiness. But that love for Will wasn't enough. She had to go find herself, so she'd packed everything up and moved to Camelot.

Arthur's head snapped back up to meet hers with sadness and guilt. "I'm sorry Merlin." He knew what Will had meant to her. How could he not? And he had been the reason that all of that had slipped away from her.

"You give that sorceress a chance because I know for a fact, that some magic users are good," she said at a whisper.

Arthur opened the door to the room again and made to walk out. But he looked back once to see the tear that threatened to spill from her eye. And suddenly Arthur felt jealous for the dead boy. But he quickly waved the thought from his head and continued on.

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